The Effect of Particle-Matrix Interface on the Local Mechanical Properties of Filled Polymer Composites: Simulations and Theoretical Analysis.

A finite element model of the local mechanical response of a filled polymer composite to uniaxial compression is presented. The interfacial layer between filler particles and polymer matrix is explicitly modeled as a third phase of the composite. Unit cells containing one or several anisometric filler particles surrounded by interface shells are considered.

Polydopamine Coated Nonspherical Magnetic Nanocluster for Synergistic Dual Magneto-Photothermal Cancer Therapy.

Local hyperthermia is gaining considerable interest due to its promising antitumor effects. In this context, dual magneto-photothermal cancer therapy holds great promise. For this purpose, the use of nanomaterials has been proposed.

Local Environment-Modulated f-f Transition in Unit-Cell-Sized Lanthanide Ultrathin Nanostructures.

The regulation of the f-f transition is the basis of utilizing the abundant optical properties of lanthanide (Ln), of which the key is to modulate the local environment of Ln ions. Here, we constructed Eu(III)-based unit-cell-sized ultrathin nanowires (UCNWs) with red luminescence and polymer-like behavior, which appears as an ideal carrier for regulating f-f transition. The f-f transition of Eu(III) in UCNWs could be precisely regulated through various ligands.

Evolution of electronic structure and optical properties of naphthalenediimide dithienylvinylene (NDI-TVT) polymer as a function of reduction level: a density functional theory study.

Naphthalenediimide (NDI)-based donor-acceptor co-polymers with tunable electronic, optical, mechanical, and transport properties have shown immense potential as n-type conducting polymers in organic (opto)electronics. During the operation, the polymers undergo reduction at different charged states, which alters their (opto)electronic properties mainly due to the formation of the quasiparticles, polaron/bipolaron. The theoretical study based on quantum mechanical calculations can provide us with a detailed understanding of their (opto)electronic properties, which is missing to a great extent.

Multicomponent Polymerization toward Poly(BODIPY-sulfonamide)s as Unique SO2 Generators for Sonodynamic and Gas Combination Therapy.

In this work, a multicomponent polymerization (MCP) approach involving bipyrroles, sulfonyl azides, and diynes was developed to afford a library of poly(bipyrrole-sulfonylimide)s (PPSIs) in high yields and molecular weights, which were further modified to form unique sulfur dioxide (SO2) generators. Bipyrroles served as carbon-based nucleophiles to undergo Cu-catalyzed C-C coupling during the MCP. Upon post-MCP modification by transforming the bipyrrole unit to boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) and the sulfonylimide moiety to sulfonamide, poly(BODIPY-sulfonamide)s (PBSAs) were obtained as potent anticancer therapeutic agents.

Canopy elastic turbulence: Insights and analogies to canopy inertial turbulence.

Canopy flows occur when a moving fluid encounters a matrix of free-standing obstacles and are found in diverse systems, from forests and marine ecology to urban landscapes and biology (e.g. cilia arrays).

Tripodal Triptycenes as a Versatile Building Block for Highly Ordered Molecular Films and Self-Assembled Monolayers.

ConspectusThe design of properties and functions of molecular assemblies requires not only a proper choice of building blocks but also control over their packing arrangements. A highly versatile unit in this context is a particular type of triptycene with substituents at the 1,8,13-positions, called tripodal triptycene, which offers predictable molecular packing and multiple functionalization sites, both at the opposite 4,5,16- or 10 (bridgehead)-positions. These triptycene building blocks are capable of two-dimensional (2D) nested hexagonal packing, leading to the formation of 2D sheets, which undergo one-dimensional (1D) stacking into well-defined "2D+1D" structures.

Rapid Antibacterial Assessments for Plastic and Textile Materials Against .

: Standard test methods for evaluating the antibacterial performance of plastic (non-porous) and textile (porous) materials are accurate and reliable, but completing a standard assessment generally requires at least several days to a week. Well-trained and experienced technicians are also required to conduct the standard tests consistently and analyse the samples and test results systemically. These costs are often not favourable for the performance assurance of antimicrobial products in industrial production, nor for meeting the fast-return demands in research and development of antimicrobial materials nowadays.

Fine-Tuning Intra/Inter-Molecular Interaction via Ternary Copolymerization Strategy to Obtain Efficient Polymer Donors.

Incorporating a third component through ternary copolymerization strategy has proven to be a promising and effective approach for further improving the device performance of polymer donors. However, terpolymer donors typically exhibit negative effects on molecular stacking and weaken charge transport due to the irregular distribution of the polymer skeleton. Herein, two terpolymers PBBQ-5 (5% ff-Qx) and PBBQ-10 (10% ff-Qx) are developed by introducing the difluoro-2-(3-hexyldecyloxy) quinoxaline (ff-Qx) to the main chain of PM6.

A twofold interpenetrated three-dimensional barium(II) metal-organic framework constructed from 2,2'-[terephthaloylbis(azanediyl)]diacetate: synthesis, structure, dihydrogen bonding and spectroscopic properties.

A new twofold interpenetrated 3D metal-organic framework (MOF), namely, poly[[μ-aqua-diaqua{μ-2,2'-[terephthaloylbis(azanediyl)]diacetato}barium(II)] dihydrate], {[Ba(CHNO)(HO)]·2HO}, (I), has been assembled through a combination of the reaction of 2,2'-[terephthaloylbis(azanediyl)]diacetic acid (TPBA, HL) with barium hydroxide and crystallization at low temperature. In the crystal structure of (I), the nine-coordinated Ba ions are bridged by two μ-aqua ligands and two carboxylate μ-O atoms to form a 1D loop-like Ba-O chain, which, together with the other two coordinated water molecules and μ-carboxylate groups, produces a rod-like secondary building unit (SBU). The resultant 1D polynuclear SBUs are further extended into a 3D MOF via the terephthalamide moiety of the ligand as a spacer.

Dietary tea tree (Melaleucae Aetheroleum) oil fortifies growth, biochemical, immune-antioxidant trait, gene function, tissue reaction, and Aeromonas sobria resistance in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

The current study had aimed to assess the long-term dietary supplementation with Melaleucae aetheroleum, tea tree essential oil (TTO). The impact on growth performance, biochemical indices, immune function, oxidant/antioxidant activity, gene expression, histopathology, and resistance against Aeromonas sobria in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was investigated. Four groups (with five replicates; G1 (control group, G2, G3, and G4) of Nile tilapia received diets enriched with TTO (doses of 0.

A multifunctional quasi-solid-state polymer electrolyte with highly selective ion highways for practical zinc ion batteries.

The uncontrolled dendrite growth and detrimental parasitic reactions of Zn anodes currently impede the large-scale implementation of aqueous zinc ion batteries. Here, we design a versatile quasi-solid-state polymer electrolyte with highly selective ion transport channels via molecular crosslinking of sodium polyacrylate, lithium magnesium silicate and cellulose nanofiber. The abundant negatively charged ionic channels modulate Zn desolvation process and facilitate ion transport.

Ultrasound-Controllable Release of Carbon Monoxide in Multifunctional Polymer Coating for Synergetic Treatment of Catheter-Related Infections.

Medical catheters are susceptible to biological contamination and pathogen invasion, leading to infection and inflammatory complications. The development of antimicrobial coatings for medical devices has emerged as a promising strategy. However, limited biological functionality and the incompatibility between bactericidal properties and biosafety remain great challenges.

ZnO-Polyaniline Nanocomposite Functionalised with Laccase Enzymes for Electrochemical Detection of Cetyltrimethylammonuium Bromide (CTAB).

The direct discharge of cationic surfactants into environmental matrices has exponentially increased due to their wide application in many products. These compounds and their degraded products disrupt microbial dynamics, hinder plant survival, and affect human health. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop electroanalytical assessment techniques for their identification, determination, and monitoring.

Development of Thermosensitive Hydrogels with Tailor-Made Geometries to Modulate Cell Harvesting of Non-Flat Cell Cultures.

Considering the complexity in terms of design that characterizes the different tissues of the human body, it is necessary to study and develop more precise therapies. In this sense, this article presents the possibility of fabricating photocurable thermosensitive hydrogels with free geometry and based on N-Vinyl Caprolactam (VCL) with the aim of modulating the adhesion of non-planar cell cultures. The fabrication process is based on the use as a mold of two-layer thick water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) previously printed by Extrusion Material (MatEx).

Native starch derived from different botanical sources as an effective co-cushioning agent in MUPS tablets.

Compaction of sustained release coated pellets into multi-unit pellet system (MUPS) tablets has been associated with damage to the functional polymer layer, leading to a loss in desired sustained release function. Many filler materials and complex processes have been studied on their ability to mitigate compaction-induced pellet coat damage. Among these, native or unprocessed starches included in the filler material have not been explored well despite being a simple strategy.

Isomerism Effect of 3D Dimeric Acceptors for Non-Halogenated Solvent-Processed Organic Solar Cells with 20 % Efficiency.

Organic photovoltaic materials that can be processed via non-halogenated solvents are crucial for the large-area manufacturing of organic solar cells (OSCs). However, the limited available of electron acceptors with adequate solubility and favorable molecular packing presents a challenge in achieving efficient non-halogenated solvent-processed OSCs. Herein, inspired by the three-dimensional dimeric acceptor CH8-4, we employed a molecular isomerization strategy to synthesize its isomers, CH8-4A and CH8-4B, by tuning the position of fluorine (F) atom in the central unit.

Co-Treatment with Cranberry and Vitamin-C Mitigates Reproductive Toxicities Induced by Phenobarbital in Male Rats.

Background/aims: Phenobarbital (PB), commonly used for epilepsy management, is associated with testicular dysfunction after prolonged use. This study aimed to evaluate the ameliorative effects of cranberry (CB) and vitamin C (Vit-C) on PB-induced reproductive toxicity in rats.

Methods: Forty male Wistar rats were divided into five groups.

Computer simulations of entropic cohesion in reversibly crosslinked polymers.

Reversibly crosslinked polymer networks - polymer networks that can undergo bond association and dissociation reactions - rearrange their structures while maintaining their overall integrity, thus resulting in unique properties such as self-healing, reprocessability, shape memory and adaptability. Here, we show that the introduction of crosslinks, whether reversible or permanent, directly impacts the equilibrium polymer density and hence the material's surface tension. For a limiting case where the bonds are the same size as the polymer chain bonds, simulations, Flory hypotheses and thermodynamic calculations show that the crosslinks induce an increased entropic cohesion in the liquid.

Developing a Fluorinated Benzothiadiazole-Based Polymer Donor as Guest to Construct High-Performance Ternary Solar Cells.

Benzothiadiazole (BT) has shown promising applications in fullerene solar cells. However, few BT-based polymer donors exhibited a noticeable power conversion efficiency (PCE) for the fused-ring small molecular acceptor-based polymer solar cells (PSCs). Herein, we developed a D-A (D: donor, A: acceptor) polymer donor F-1 based on fluorinated BT (ffBT) as A unit and chlorinated benzo [1,2-b : 4,5-b'] dithiophene (BDT-2Cl) as D unit.

Strong and Tough Self-Healing Elastomers via BTA-Mediated Microstructure and Metal-ligand Coordination.

Creating elastomers with high strength, toughness, and rapid self-healing remains a key challenge. These seemingly contradictory properties require innovative design strategies. Herein, a novel approach is proposed by simultaneously incorporating a unique triple hydrogen bond unit, benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA), and imidazole-Zn dynamic coordination into the elastomer.

Improving Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells by Reducing Energetic Disorder of Hole Transport Polymer.

Polymer hole transport materials offer significant efficiency and stability advantages for p-i-n perovskite solar cells. However, the energetic disorder of amorphous polymer hole transport materials not only limits carrier transport but also impedes contact between the polymer and perovskite, hindering the formation of high crystalline quality perovskites. Herein, a novel low energetic disordered polymer hole transport material, PF8ICz, featuring an indeno[3,2-b]carbazole unit with extended π-conjugation is designed and synthesized.

Near-Infrared Light Driven Reversible Photoelectrochemical Bioassay by S-Scheme All-Polymer Blends for Acetylcholinesterase Activity Monitoring.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensing, recognized for its heightened sensitivity, faces limitations in its application for diagnosis due to the inefficiency of UV-visible light-driven photoactive materials in nontransparent biological samples. In this study, we investigate the potential of an S-scheme all-polymer heterojunction comprising a prototype nonfullerene polymeric acceptor (PYIT) and carbon nitride to develop a near-infrared (NIR) light-driven PEC biosensor for monitoring acetylcholinesterase activity in nontransparent human whole blood. The distinct molecular structure of PYIT enables efficient light absorption in the NIR region, enhancing sensitivity in nontransparent biological samples.

Mechanism-Inspired Synthesis of Poly(alkyl malonates) via Alternating Copolymerization of Epoxides and Meldrum's Acid Derivatives.

Direct incorporation of malonate units into polymer backbones is a synthetic challenge. Herein, we report the alternating and controlled anionic copolymerization of epoxides and Meldrum's acid (MA) derivatives to access poly(alkyl malonates) using (-bis(salicylidene)phenylenediamine)AlCl and a tris(dialkylamino)cyclopropenium chloride cocatalyst. This unique copolymerization yields a malonate-containing repeat unit while releasing a small molecule upon MA-derivative ring-opening.

Reversible Asymmetric Deformation Modulating Dexter Energy Transfer in Manganese Halide Perovskite with Temperature-pressure Equivalence Effect.

Deformation of metal halide perovskite can induce many interesting properties. This study focuses on a manganese-based organic-inorganic perovskite with a unique structure in which tetrahedral and octahedral coordination coexist in single crystal unit cell. This perovskite emits at 519 and 615 nm at room temperature.